Saturday, November 03, 2007

Today was the first Saturday of the month, which made it DBA day. I was in need of some time away from home to be sure. I really enjoy the regulars at DBA--Andy, Dale, Mark, Scott and the others, and I don't get there every month. So, it was nice to be welcomed.

I brought my hydroplanes for show and tell, and it was nice to share them around. I even bought a new army. Game Matrix is stocking some of the Xyston boxed armies, so I picked up the Aitolians. It is pretty unhoplitelike, but cheap, so I thought I'd give the army a whirl.

I squeezed in three games. First, Andy and I tried the Emishi and the Pre-Samurai Japanese. I took the former, and it was tricky. The Japanese lost a big chunk of their cavalry, but in the end I lost 4-2. Then I played Gary Griess's Vikings with my Eastern Woodland Indians. This is always a great matchup, one I've played many times, and I really clobbered Gary 5-0. He asked to play another game, and we went back to the Emishi and P-S Japanese. Gary took the Emishi, and had a bit more success than I did. We got into a bow shooting death match, while I tried to work around his flank with my cavalry. Gary took a 3-1 lead, but I evened it up and killed his general to win 4G-3. It turned into a really great game.

I'm looking forward to some painting this evening, before a lot of school work tomorrow. I'd like to get pictures up of all the hydroplanes tomorrow.

Friday, November 02, 2007

Tactical Solutions is this weekend. This is a new convention hosted by NHMGS members in Spokane. I confess, I've been so frantically busy with school and other family issues that I haven't given it much thought. With my Philadelphia trip coming up next weekend, I decided long ago I wouldn't be able to attend. Nevertheless, I wish Chuck Hamack, Mike Clinton and the other organizers well. They've worked hard to pull this off.

For more information about this event click on the link to the NHMGS website.

Thursday, November 01, 2007

It's been a busy couple of weeks since my last posting. Lorri's father passed away, and there have been additional family difficulties since then. Add our second deadline week at JagWire, and my life has been pretty full. However, I have managed a couple more finished thunderboats. No new pics today, but I'll try to get something on the 'net soon.

I finished Bill Brow's Miss Exide from 1965. Exide was a chief competitor for Musson's Bardahl during the glory years 1963-65. Brow was a family favorite because his day job was as a milk-man. Since my dad had also been a milk man, he was someone we could root for. We saw Brow racing limited boats on Green Lake in the early 60's. Sadly, he was killed when Exide disintegrated in 1967.

My second boat is Miss Wahoo. Wahoo was owned by Bill Boeing, and named for the town of his wife's birth, Wahoo, Nebraska. Wahoo was a very good boat in the late '50's, the best of a class of three including Miss Spokane and Shanty One. It was driven by Mira Slovak. Slovak was a good driver and a great story. He was a Czech immigrant and Cold War refugee, so he always made a great story.

About Me

I'm a high school history and journalism teacher, a career I've loved and continued to enjoy. Aside from my family I have several passions-miniature wargaming, movies, books and music. I'm also a died in the wool Mariners fan and baseball lover.